Topsail-yard for sailing-vessels



No Model.)

J. PRYE. TOPSAIL YARD FOR SAILING VBSSELS.

Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

IN VENTOR WITNESSES;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FRYE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOPSAlL-YARD FOR SAILING-VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,113, dated.December 31, 1895. Application filed April 25, 1895. Serial No. 547,095.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES FRYE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTopsail-Yards for Sailing-Vessels; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in topsail-yards forsailing-vessels; and it consists more particularly in so constructingand arranging the several parts as to enable the topsail-yards to bereadily folded against the masts in stormy weather from the deck withoutrequiring the assistance of seamen in the rigging.

In reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a perspectiveview of a portion of a vessels mast with the topsail yardarm inposition. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation looking in the directionof the arrow, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of that portion shownin Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa sectional view of one side of a topsail-yard,showing the manner of operating the drawbo1t-," and Fig. 5 is a detachedperspective view of the mast-braces for holding the topsail-yard inposition.

Adesignates the mast to which are secured the braces B and B.

O is a swivel-bolt interposed between said braces and being pivotallysecured thereto by a pin 0. The swivel-bolt O has a projecting pin 0which engages the hinged portion of the topsail-yard D, the latterconsisting of two steel tubes D and D having forged thereon the hingeportions D which are mounted upon the pin 0'. The outer portions (1 andd are of wood, butmay be constructed of the same material as theportions D and D Within said portions D and D is snugly fitted adraw-bolt E, operated by a wire rope or chain 6, which passes overpulleys f and f and thence to the deck. The draw-bolt E is made of steeltubing and has arod e to which the wire rope or chain is attached. Whenthe topsail-yards are folded against the mast, as shown by dotted linesin Fig. 2 of the drawings, the draw-bolt E rests in the portion D of thetopsail-yard When it is desired to set the topsail-yards, as shown inFig. 1, the outer ends are elevated by ropes G and G, which pass overwheels in the pulley-block g and thence to the deck. The drawbar E isthen drawn across until it strikes the stop 01 in which position it isfirmly held by securing the wire rope or chain 6 at any convenientposition on the deck.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a topsail yard the combination of the parts D and D a portion 0 towhich said parts are hinged, and braces B and B hinged to and supportingsaid portion 0, substantially as described.

2. In a topsail yard the combination of the parts D and D a portion 0 towhich said parts are hinged, braces B and B hinged to and supportingsaid portion 0, a draw bolt E to reinforce said parts D and D and meansfor operating said draw bolt, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES FRYE. Witnesses ROBERT W. LLOYD, HERBERT I. LLOYD.

